About Yesterday: Hitting A Sour Note. Padres 4, Yankees 3

About Yesterday: Hitting A Sour Note.  Padres 4 – Yankees 3

By Tim Kabel

September 7, 2026

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The Yankees lost to the Padres yesterday afternoon and lost the three-game series two games to one. They split the six game West Coast road trip and will now come home to play the Colorado Rockies beginning tomorrow.

The Yankees remain in second place in the American League East, four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. They lead the Red Sox by 2 1/2 games in both the Division and Wild Card races.

The Yankees have 19 games left in the regular season. It is almost a foregone conclusion that they will make the playoffs. What is unclear is whether they will win the Division or go in as the top Wild Card team.  At this point, the Yankees winning the Division is a possibility. It is also a possibility that the Red Sox could pass the Yankees and be the top Wild Card team. Possible does not mean probable, however.

Yesterday's game was interesting in many ways. Gerrit Cole started and gave up home runs to the first three batters he faced. Fernando Tatis, Jr., Jake Cronenworth, and Manny Machado hit the consecutive home runs. Cole later gave up a home run to Luis Campusano.

Cole pitched seven innings, allowing six hits including four home runs, and four runs. He struck out three and didn't walk anyone. It is important to note that in his first season back after Tommy John surgery, Cole has been inconsistent. In 19 games, he has now allowed 17 home runs. His record is 8-8. This is not a criticism. It is not a complaint. It is simply stating the fact that there is a process involved in returning from major surgery. Cole has pitched some gems this season. He has also pitched some duds. That is to be expected. It is reasonable to believe that next year, he might be better than he has been this year. That would be the natural progression. Unfortunately, in the present, a Gerrit Cole start is not a sure thing the way it once was.

The point that I'm making is that when a player returns from a significant injury, we as fans cannot expect them to simply shake it off like it was a case of the sniffles. It is important to note that because very soon, Aaron Judge will be returning after not playing since the end of May. To expect him to immediately resume playing at an MVP level is not realistic. He may be able to do that. However, it is more likely that he will show flashes of his MVP abilities but will also struggle as he adjusts. That is normal and it is to be expected.

That means that the Yankees need to have major contributions from other players.

Yesterday, the Yankees fought back, scoring three runs in the eighth inning. It wasn't enough. Once again, Spencer Jones demonstrated that he can hit left-handed pitching by getting a double off Adrian Morejon to drive in the first run for the Yankees. There had been a lot of discussion and debate about who would be pushed out of the lineup when Aaron Judge returns. Many people argued that Spencer Jones should get the nod in centerfield over Trent Grisham, who has had a disappointing season. That argument now seems to be moot as Grisham went on the IL with a hamstring injury after Friday's game. It is doubtful that he will return this season.

The Yankees are 19 games over .500 with 19 games to play. With one more win, the Yankees will clinch their 34th consecutive winning season. They will make the playoffs. Things are bright for the Yankees. The only question is, how bright? The Yankees are going to need consistent contributions from the whole roster as they finish out the season and head into the playoffs. They are also going to need luck. I firmly believe the old saying that anything is possible. We just have to remember that anything can go in either direction.

A Few Tidbits: 

·       Michael King held the Yankees to four hits over six innings. He struck out three and walked three against his former team.

·       Mason Miller, who was reportedly a trade target for the Yankees at the deadline this year, pitched the 9th inning, earning his 33rd save. He struck out 3 and walked 1. His ERA for the season is 1.19.

·       Padres’ catcher Luis Campusano threw out all four Yankees base runners who tried to steal on him during the series.

·       This was the second time in his Yankees career that Gerrit Cole gave up three consecutive home runs to start a game. The other time was on June 9th, 2022, against the Twins, a game that the Yankees came back to win. 

·       On September 6th, 1981, George Steinbrenner fired manager Gene “Stick” Michael and replaced him with Bob Lemon during the season that was split due to the player strike. The Yankees went on to lose the World Series to the Dodgers that year.

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After a day off today, The Yankees will open a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies at 7:05 PM on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Cam Schlittler, (12-6, 2.05 ERA) will pitch for the Yankees against Gabriel Hughes, (0-6, 6.19 ERA).  It seems odd that the Yankees are not playing on Labor Day. When I was young, they always played on the major holidays and usually played a doubleheader. Those days are long gone I'm afraid.